While there has been research into the experience of people living in ILUs (HAAG, 2016), there is limited knowledge of the experience of people attempting to gain access to them. It may be inferred however that access is problematic; waitlists are generally years in length, there area large numbers of low-income pensioners in the private rental market, and there are low numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) aged living in them (HAAG, 2016). Obtaining up to date and transparent information about ILUs and other retirement villages is also challenging.

This report looks at whether HAAG clients who are given information about ILUs actually obtain housing in ILUs, and explores some of the structural reasons behind this.

The purpose of this report is to ascertain whether or not the VHR is working as it intended in regards to the process of receiving community housing offers in the case of HAAG’s cohort of older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. HAAG’s housing workers house approximately 7 people per month in social housing - an umbrella term to mean public housing which is owned by government, and community housing which is owned or managed by not for profit community housing providers. Our workers mainly utilise the VHR and use our contacts and networks within community housing providers to house our clients. In practice though, how many of our clients are being housed in community housing through each process? Has the VHR simplified it and made the process more transparent in relation to community housing providers and how they offer vacancies? This is something the introduction of the VHR aimed to address and this report will focus on.

This newsletter celebrates the tireless work of April Bragg. After 19 years of service, April is retiring, but not without leaving behind a legacy of dedication and passion for housing justice for Older Victorians.

"For many years older people at risk of homelessness in the rental market have beendiscriminated against and severely neglected by the aged care system. The main factor that hascaused this problem is a policy framework and aged care service practices that are based on thebroad assumption that older people own their own home and, as assets based financialcontributors, are more valued than older renters."

Fiona York, HAAG's Executive officer, chatted with Lisa Tribuzio, North Metro Diversity Advisor from the North Metro Sector Development team, during Homelessness Week. They talked about HAAGs work housing older people at risk of homelessness, with older women, CALD and LGBTI communities.

In November 2018, Victorians go to the polls. An election provides the opportunity to show leadership about the issues that matter.We know that housing for older people has become a significant problem that needs to be addressed urgently by the Victorian State Government.

Home and Housed is an annual HAAG newsletter detailing our service data, case studies, service model and analysis of housing trends. Through early intervention and prevention, Home at Last assisted 1081 older people who were at risk of homelessness in the 2017-2018 Financial Year. This included our small outreach team housing 130 people, even in the tough conditions (halting of public housing offers) created by the Victorian Housing Renewal Program. We want to share this great achievement with our members and anyone else who is interested in how the Home at Last model works.

Home at Last, are appalled at the findings of the Inquiry into the Public Housing Renewal Program which revealed that the previous redevelopment in Kensington (a model for the current program) actually decreased the total number of Public and Community houses by 36% and the number of bedrooms by 54%, while selling off the public land for just 5% of its market value.

Melbourne based Housing Support organisation Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) welcome Treasurer Scott Morrison’s announcement of 14,000 extra aged care home packages. The government’s sentiments that it is better for a person’s wellbeing to receive support in their own home than to go into aged care aligns with HAAG’s goal of assisting older people to maintain independent living in their community of choice.

However, the group believe that there is something crucial missing from this announcement (and the budget in general). That’s Older Private Renters.

"There has been increasing awareness of the statistics of women aged 55 and over experiencing homelessness in Victoria and Australia more broadly. The 2014 report ‘Older Women’s Pathways Out of Homelessness in Australia’ found that women in this age group may have limited superannuation, minimal work experience and potentially inadequate financial literacy from time unemployed due to caring responsibilities and unpaid labour. Therefore many older single women may be living off welfare payments with minimal savings while renting in the unaffordable and unsustainable private rental market. The 2014 report states that older women are more likely to be the ‘invisible homeless’, both physically and statistically; more likely to couch surf, live in their car or at home under threat of violence than be sleeping rough. This physical and statistical invisibility means that appropriate and specific services, support, referrals and housing are minimal. It also means on a policy level there is limited government understanding of what is needed to not only support older women out of homelessness, but prevent homelessness or housing instability occurring in the first place. "

On the 13th of January, Minister for Housing Martin Foley announced that the State Government would invest $45 million in housing services and housing, to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis. While Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) welcomes the focus on early intervention and pathways into long term housing, it would like to see more money invested into housing itself, so that services can offer long-term, rather than band aid solutions.

This submission focuses on the need for the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement Bill to acknowledge the dire circumstances facing an increasing ageing population that is facing a future of housing hardship due to successive government policies that have focused on private rental subsidies in Commonwealth Rent Assistance rather than much needed capital expenditure on public and community housing. This has created a long-term need for investment in public and community housing but also urgently put in place specialist early intervention homelessness support services to assist the thousands of older people experiencing hardship and at risk of homelessness in the private rental market.